attendance and punctuality...

CHRISTOPHER PICKERING PRIMARY SCHOOL

Attendance and Punctuality Policy

Headteacher: Mrs Jane Marson Last Reviewed:Summer 2017 TLR Holder: Mrs BJ Carter Review Date:Summer 2018

Christopher Pickering Primary School

Attendance and Punctuality Policy: Summer 2016

All decision making at Christopher Pickering Primary School is informed by the desire to raise:

Standards of achievement The quality of teaching and learning

The continued personal development of pupils and staff and

To enjoy learning, working and being together Safeguarding Children in our care

Christopher Pickering Primary School recognise that “…through their day to day contact with pupils and direct work with families, our education staff have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect and in referring concerns to the appropriate agency.” (Working Together to Safeguard Children 1999).



ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY POLICY

Background We believe this policy should be a working document that is fit for purpose, represents the school ethos, enables consistency and quality across the school and is related to the following legislation: We believe this policy relates to the following legislation: Children Act 1989 Education Act 1996 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Data Protection Act 1998 Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Education (School Attendance Targets) (England) Regulations 2005 Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 Education (School Attendance Targets) (England) Regulations 2007 Education (School Attendance Targets) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 The following documentation is also related to this policy: Advice on School Attendance (DfE) Improving Attendance at School (DfE)

We believe that children cannot learn if they are absent from school. Therefore, at Christopher Pickering we aim to ensure that all our children take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them and to raise standards by promoting regular attendance and punctuality of pupils. We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our pupils. We believe high attainment depends on good attendance. We expect all school personnel to support and promote excellent school attendance by acting as role models and to work hard to provide a learning environment in which all pupils are eager to learn, feel valued and enjoy coming to school. School personnel have a responsibility for identifying trends in attendance and punctuality. Sometimes a pupil's absence or lateness may not be their fault and in these circumstances it is our policy to be supportive of the child and not to make them feel guilty or inadequate. Also, at times we have to give allowances for religious beliefs and individual family circumstances. We believe it is essential to regularly remind parents of the importance of good attendance and its links to pupil attainment. The Education Act 1996 clearly states that the prime responsibility of parents/carers is to ensure that their children attend school regularly.

We wish to work closely with the School Council and to hear their views and opinions as we acknowledge and support Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that children should be encouraged to form and to express their views.



We as a school community have a commitment to promote equality. Therefore, an equality impact assessment has been undertaken and we believe this policy is in line with the Equality Act 2010. We believe it is essential that this policy clearly identifies and outlines the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the procedures and arrangements that is connected with this policy.

Objectives To encourage full attendance and punctuality

To monitor attendance and apply appropriate strategies to minimise absenteeism

To acknowledge and celebrate a successful record of attendance

To ensure a consistent approach throughout the School

To make attendance and punctuality a priority for those associated with the school including pupils, parents, teachers and governors.

To provide support, advice and guidance to parents and pupils

To work effectively with other services and agencies to support these objectives.

School Systems a. Attendance Although it is the parents/carers legal responsibility to ensure their child/children attend school regularly, unless they are ill, the school has a responsibility to make sure this happens. It is therefore our collective responsibility to impress on the children and parents/carers, that regular attendance is important. This will be done in the following ways:

A weekly Attendance Assembly to celebrate each class attendance and look at graphs to compare classes and monitor targets.

The two classes who receive the highest attendance will have ‘Flapjack Friday’, where they are rewarded with flapjack on Friday afternoon.

Pupils are challenged to reach specific attendance targets and are rewarded each term. Targets start from 96% and above.

Orange wristbands given out to children who have achieved 100% each term. Purple wristbands given out to children who achieve 100% all year. The wristbands are worn in school so pupils and teachers can comment on the achievement. Pupils can feel proud of what they have achieved.

Prizes for 100% attendance given at an Awards ceremony each Term.

Certificates for those children, who have made a big effort to improve their attendance, will also be given out termly.

At the end of the year a raffle will be held for all families that achieved 100%, those who win will be given vouchers for activities such as bowling, play area etc

A display at the front of the school showing class attendance.



Regular reminders in newsletters to parents, making regular attendance a high priority and raising the importance of attendance issues to parents at the first entry of their child/children to the school.

Early Bird Week each term and an attendance week each year where children are involved in attendance activities and given information regarding attendance and attainment.

Clear guidance to parents that Head Teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

First day absence phone calls and regular follow ups by Attendance Officer.

Visits to parents by Attendance Officer.

Referral routes for pupils with emerging attendance problems (Parents of pupils with attendance below 90% will be contacted, and may also be contacted if attendance is unexpectedly below 95%).

Regular meetings with the EWO to discuss pupils who have attendance lower than 90%.

Meetings with Parents of pupils who are listed as Persistent Absentees.

Monitoring progress towards targets and close monitoring of individual pupils.

The inclusion of attendance information in School documentation, e.g. the website, reports, newsletters, home-school agreements.

Annual reports to parents include a record of their child’s attendance.

The Head Teacher’s termly report to Governors records the attendance figures for the academic year to date.

b. Punctuality Again it is the parent/carers legal responsibility to ensure their child/children arrives at school on time. It is our collective responsibility to inform parents that punctuality is important. This will be done in the following ways:

Registration is at 8.45 a.m. in the morning and 1.00pm in the afternoon. Pupils arriving after the close of registration, without a justifiable reason, will be marked as ‘late after registration closed’.

Regular reminders in newsletters to parents.

Standard letters to parents of children who are becoming a cause for concern.

In the case of exceptional lateness the matter can be referred to the Education Welfare Service for a home visit to be made for the issue to be taken up with parents reminding them of their legal responsibilities in this area.



C. Attendance Bus Pupils who are struggling with attendance or punctuality are invited to join an attendance bus each morning. Parents of these pupils have to complete a form and are requested to bring their child to an allocated walking ‘bus stop’ at a specified time.

Responsibilities Parents Before a pupil is accepted onto the school roll parents are informed of the importance of high attendance patterns. They are requested to notify the school as soon as possible by telephone, text or by letter if their child is unable to attend. Teachers Teachers are required to:- Complete their attendance register promptly by 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. each day. Express concerns they have to the Attendance Officer about children who are regularly absent. Complete reports and information about pupil’s attainment for the Attendance Officer when necessary. The Attendance Officer The school attendance officer is required to:-

Ensure that the attendance and absence records are maintained.

Make first day absence calls and follow up calls if a pupils is absent for more than three days.

Make home visits where appropriate.

Help run the Walking Bus.

Refer to the Attendance Lead any concerns regarding children's punctuality and/or attendance. Maintain a supply of standard letters for parents whose child/children have been absent without explanation.

The Senior Leadership Team The Head Teacher, Attendance Lead and Phase Leaders will monitor the procedure and make regular reports to the Governing Body about attendance and punctuality. The Governing Body The Governors shall receive the report of the Head Teacher and develop policies and set targets for attendance. d. Family holidays during term time The Governors are following the change in regulations that covers pupil absence during term-time. At the moment there is no specific advice from the Government due to a sudden change in ruling and so as we wait for more details, the Headteacher will take each case on an individual basis and look at a child’s attendance figures. This policy will be amended as and when new guidance is received.



e. Target Setting The school attendance target is currently at 97% but this is to be reviewed each year. The DfE Persistent Absentee threshold is 10%.

When evaluating success the school will consider whether or not:

Patterns and trends in the school’s attendance and pupils’ punctuality are improved

Parental response to absence has improved

The school has been successful in raising the profile of attendance by celebrating good attendance within the school, governing body and the local community

Pupils and parents are fully aware of the importance of punctuality and regular attendance and aware of the attendance procedures operating within school

Parents and governors are made aware of the current law on attendance

Attendance issues have been included as topics in school assemblies or PSHE lessons. The school will recognise the importance of good practice by:

Keeping and maintaining registers accurately

Maintaining a consistent approach to marking registers

Regularly analysing attendance data

Ensuring prompt follow-up action in cases of non-school attendance

Reporting missing children to the LA

Rewarding and celebrating good and improving attendance. It is essential that everyone involved in promoting attendance is clear about the important role that must be carried out in order to raise standards. Promoting good attendance is the responsibility of the whole School.



APPENDIX 1

( Below 90% Letter to parents)

(today’s date) Stage 1/Let1 Parent Salutation Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Town Postcode Dear Parent Salutation RE: Pupils Name XXXXXXXXX School is committed to improving achievement through attendance and monitors the attendance of its pupils using a unique tracking system. Any pupil whose attendance falls below 90% will be monitored, and as a parent I am sure you will agree that your child must attend school regularly and on time to ensure that the maximum benefit is obtained from the education provided by XXXXXX School. I enclose a copy of (Name’s) attendance record. You will see that the attendance is now XXXX%, which is now a cause for concern. I have also enclosed a copy of our attendance procedures to help you understand how we work towards improving attendance. Please contact me on the above number during the next 7 school days if you feel there are factors that may be affecting (Name’s) attendance. I will continue to monitor (Name’s) attendance and I hope that with your co-operation, we see some improvement. Should (Name) have any further absences from school they will remain unauthorised unless the school receives supporting evidence. Yours sincerely Attendance Liaison Officer



APPENDIX 2 ( Example of information letter to parents of pupils whose attendance has slipped)

Dear Parent/Carer, As I am sure you are aware regular school attendance is essential for all of our pupils to make good progress, achieve their academic potential and consequently have better chances in life. Every pupil at Christopher Pickering Primary School, in line with the Government’s expectations, is expected to maintain an attendance level of 96% and above. It is the responsibility of everyone in our school community – parents, pupils, staff and governors to ensure they achieve this. Therefore we monitor and review the attendance of all pupils constantly. (child’s name) attendance is currently ( Percent attendance) Our Whole School Attendance Target is 97.0%. Therefore if your child attends for at least 96% of one school year they will have had less than 10 days absent. Attendance over one school year If a pupil had: 98% attendance = less than 4 days absent from school 95% attendance = less than 10 days absent from school 90% attendance = 4 weeks absent from school 85% attendance = 5 ½ weeks absent from school 80% attendance = 7 ½ weeks absent from school We appreciate that children are unwell from time to time and that there can be exceptional circumstances for absences, but we ask that you think carefully about keeping your child out of school. There is a strong connection between attendance and achievement at school. Absence is proven to have a significant negative impact upon a child’s educational attainment. This term we will be closely monitoring all children whose attendance has fallen below 90%. From this Parents/ Carers may be asked to come in to school for a meeting to enable us to work together to help improve your child’s attendance and attainment, so they can achieve their full potential at Christopher Pickering.



APPENDIX 3

Dear RE: I wrote to you on # expressing my concern about your son/daughter’s level of attendance. Due to the lack of significant improvement in (child’s name) attendance, I would like to invite you to a meeting at # School on # at # , to discuss how working together could enable your son/daughter’s attendance to improve which in turn would have an impact on his/her attainment. It is important that you attend this meeting, however if this date and time is not convenient, please contact me on the above number to rearrange. Yours sincerely Mrs B. Carter Assistant Head



APPENDIX 4

Dear

School Attendance Enforcement Procedure Re: I am writing in regards my letter dated # requesting you to attend a meeting held at # School on # to discuss your son/daughter (child’s name) poor school attendance. As you did not attend, or respond to the letter issued, an attendance target for (child’s name) was set in your absence. This target is #% attendance for the next 4 weeks and will be reviewed on # . I must remind you that you have a legal responsibility, as a parent, to ensure your son/daughter attends school regularly. Please make every effort to ensure that (child’s name) does so in the future otherwise we will refer this to the Education Welfare Service and any further unexplained absence from school may lead to the matter being placed before the Magistrates’ Court under Section 444(1)A of the Education Act (1996). Yours sincerely Mrs B. Carter Assistant Head



APPENDIX 5

Dear Parent Salutation Re: Punctuality Concern – (Name) XXXXXXXX School has a full support system in place to monitor attendance. On a weekly basis, as Assistant Head my role is to monitor both attendance and punctuality with the aim to offer support to those students who become a concern. Unfortunately, (Name) is appearing on the punctuality report far too often, see the enclosed Attendance Certificate. Although this is not yet a major concern it has been brought to my attention. I hope that we can work together to try to improve (Name’s) punctuality as this is an important life skill that will affect (Name’s) learning and academic progress. The school has systems in place to support children with punctuality problems, and this will be considered if (Name’s) punctuality does not improve. I look forward to working with you to ensure that (Name) attends school on time and take this opportunity to remind you of the timings of the school day. (Name) should be in school for XXam in the morning and XXpm in the afternoon. If you wish to discuss this letter further or need any part of it to be clarified, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the school. Yours sincerely Mrs B. Carter Assistant Head enc Attendance Certificate



APPENDIX 6

Child Missing Education or At Risk of Missing Education

Child Moved Out of Area / Missing Within Area/Direct approach to school

Notification Form This form is to be used to notify the Education Welfare Service of all pupils who are not receiving full time education, who do not have a school place and those who are currently waiting for a transfer and where a child has moved away from this area or within Hull where no destination school for the child is known or where a school has been approached directly by a parent/carer. Please put details of any siblings on a separate sheet. Checks must be made using this form prior to removal

from a school roll. Please provide as much information as possible. This information will be shared with the receiving local authority if known.

CHILD DETAILS

Surname …………………………………… First name(s) ……………………….…………………

D.O.B ……………………………………… Gender …………………. Year Group……………..…

Current Address ………………………………………………………………………………………...…

…………………………………………………………………………………………...

Parent/Carer’s Name ……………………………………………………………………..................... Telephone No. ……………………………………………………………………................................

Current/ previous school ………………………………………………………………………………...

Date last attended …………………………………………………………………………………………

DETAILS (Please include area/address if known, where child has moved to and details of

any other agencies that are involved with the family). Please also give details of any visits/contact you have made to try and trace this child.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

Name …………………………………………Job Title …………………………………………………..

School / Establishment …………………………………… Tel no. ………………………………. Email ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...



Please return this form immediately to: Melanie Johnson – Senior Education Welfare Officer, Education Welfare Service, Treasury Building, Guildhall Road, KUH HU1 2AB Telephone - 01482 613703 Fax – 01482 61323

APPENDIX 7

KINGSTON UPON HULL

EDUCATION WELFARE SERVICE REFERRAL FOR PENALTY NOTICE FOR UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE

AFTER 15 DAY WARNING LETTER PERIOD OR CONFIRMATION OF NO FURTHER ACTION

Pupil School

Date: ...................................................... Headteacher: ............................................... Please return the completed form to the Senior Education Welfare Officer,

Penalty Notice to be issued Yes No If yes please send an up to date attendance printout with this form If no PN to be issued, please give reason below: To be completed by Education Welfare Service Support Officer: Penalty Notice issue date:



Treasury Building, 2nd Floor, Guildhall Road, KUH, HU1 2AB Fax 613235 THE PENALTY NOTICE WILL ONLY BE PROCESSED WITH ALL THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ATTACHED. Appendix 11 KINGSTON UPON HULL

EDUCATION WELFARE SERVICE REFERRAL FOR PENALTY NOTICE WARNING LETTER

Parent/Carer Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Surname First Name

Address

Post Code:

Pupil DOB Eth Year Group School

Number of unauthorised absences in the current term –

Please attach current attendance printout with this form.

Please give details of any agencies working with this pupil/family:

Please detail your contact with parent pre this referral i.e. Home visits/letters/meetings

To be completed by Education Welfare Support Officer: Penalty Warning letter issue date: 15 day review date:

Date copy of this form returned to school: Case number:



Appendix 8

Dear Parent/Carer As you know, pupils of school age must, by law, attend school regularly. If your child is to be away from school you need to ask for leave of absence and for this absence to be authorised. You cannot yourself authorise a child’s absence. This school, the Adult, Children & Family Services and many parents are working in partnership to enable children to reach their full potential and this requires regular attendance at school. The legislation on school attendance for holidays in term time has changed from 1 September 2013 so that I am unable to grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. The exceptional circumstances agreed by the Governing Body for Christopher Pickering in authorising a holiday in term time is:

Service Personnel and other employees who can only take holidays at restricted times.

Acute crisis within the family.

Court order/formal agreement where parents have separated.

Each case will be considered individually.

I would ask you to think again about this request for xxxxxxxx to be out of school. I think it is important that all parents should be aware of the implications of taking holidays during term-time as this can seriously disrupt their child’s progress and achievements. Not only do children miss the teaching provided on the days they are away, they are also less prepared for the lessons building on this learning after their return. xxxxxxxx’s progress may be seriously slowed and there may also be a future risk of underachievement. Your child’s absence can also disrupt the work of other pupils in the class, who may suffer as a result and there is likely to be additional work and planning for teachers. As your request is not covered by the exceptional circumstances I am not currently willing to agree to authorise xxxxxxxxx’s absence for this holiday. I look forward to hearing from you should you wish to discuss this further. Please contact xxxxxxxxxxx if you wish to make an appointment to see me. If however you take xxxxxxxx out of school for an unauthorised holiday, I am required to notify the Local Authority who may then issue a Penalty Notice fine of £60 to be paid within 21 days. If no payment is received the Penalty Notice will increase to £120 to be paid within 28 days. Yours sincerely Mrs S M McGlinchey Headteacher



Appendix 9 Dear Parent/Carer RE: Pupil Name D.O.B. Following my letter dated ……., informing you that your holiday request submitted would not be authorised, I am disappointed that you have taken holiday leave of absence. This action makes working in partnership more difficult to achieve, shows a disregard for your child’s education and gives a message that school is not important. Unauthorised absence from school is a serious matter and can lead to a Penalty Notice being issued. This absence for xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx has been recorded as unauthorised absence and I am required to notify the Local Authority regarding this absence from school. An unauthorised holiday in term time can result in a Penalty Notice fine of £60 to be paid within 21 days. If no payment is received the Penalty Notice will increase to £120 to be paid within 28 days. Please ensure your child attends school regularly and that you work in partnership with my staff and I, to ensure that xxxxxxxxxx catches up with the work missed. If you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact the school for an appointment. Yours sincerely Mrs S M McGlinchey Headteacher



APPENDIX 10 KINGSTON UPON HULL

EDUCATION WELFARE SERVICE REFERRAL FOR PENALTY NOTICE

UNAUTHORISED HOLIDAY IN TERM TIME

Name of referrer

School

Parent/carer Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Surname Forename

Address

Post Code:

Pupil DOB & Year group Ethnicity

Current attendance:

Number of unauthorised sessions “G” in current term:

Please attach printout to referral form

Has this pupil had a authorised/unauthorised holiday in the previous academic year

YES/NO

Please attach previous academic year printout to referral form



How did parent request leave for holiday? School form/letter or other – please detail and attach copies Please give details of response from parents following letter sent by school refusing request



APPENDIX 11

( Meeting letter for persistent absentees) Dear Parent/Carer, I am writing to inform you that ------------------- is now listed as a persistent absentee on our school records. A child who falls below 10% absence in any one term is listed as a persistent absentee. We hope that you appreciate how crucial good school attendance is to your child’s progress and achievement and that absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling, with regular absence seriously affecting their learning. We would like to invite you to a meeting in school on --------------- at -------------- to discuss ways we can work together to help ------- achieve his/ her full potential at Christopher Pickering. If you are unable to make the meeting please ring the school office to arrange another time. Thank you, Mrs B. Carter Assistant Head

Initial Equality Impact Assessment

Policy Title The aim(s) of this policy Existing policy ()

New/Proposed Policy ()

Updated Policy ()

Attendance and Punctuality

This policy affects or is likely to affect the following members of the school community ()

Pupils

School Personnel Parents/carers Governors School Volunteers

School Visitors Wider School Community

Question Equality Groups Conclusion

Does or could this policy have a negative impact on any of the following?

Age

Disability

Gender

Gender identity

Pregnancy or maternity

Race

Religion or belief

Sexual orientation

Undertake a full EIA if the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘not sure’

Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Y N NS Yes No

Does or could this policy help promote equality for any of the following?

Age

Disability

Gender

Gender identity


Race

Religion or belief

Sexual orientation

Undertake a full EIA if the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not sure’


Does data collected from the equality groups have a positive impact on this policy?

Age

Disability

Gender

Gender identity


Race

Religion or belief

Sexual orientation

Undertake a full EIA if the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not sure’


Conclusion We have come to the conclusion that after undertaking an initial equality impact assessment that a full assessment is not required.

Preliminary EIA completed by Date Preliminary EIA approved by Date

S.M.McGlinchey Summer16 Governors Summer 2016

attendance and punctuality...

Documents